Apollo

1. Apollo2. Live at Uplink (digital bonustrack)

3-inch cd-r, January 2011

This 21+ minute sonic journey is an alternate edit of a soundtrack recorded for 'In Your Star', the latest film by Japanese experimental film maker Makino Takashi. Just like that movie, the score is filled with details, creating a world to get completely lost in. Field recordings, NASA flight journals and a vast array of rumbling, crackling and droning electronica are crammed on this dense - yet subtle - 3-inch cd-r. The disc comes in a nice oversized, full colour paper sleeve.

An alternate edit of the soundtrack Zuydervelt created for the latest film by Japanese film director Makino Takashi, In Your Star, the piece, stretching over almost twenty two minutes of deep organic brooding sounds, field recordings and recordings of NASA flight journals, finds Zuydervelt in richer and more varied mood. Once again, he works around the drone which serves as backbone to the piece, fleshing it out with subtle nuances and exquisite touches. Zuydervelt is an undeniable expert at creating spellbinding progressive sound forms, and this is one of his most compelling compositions to date. As it ebbs and flows gently, the piece grows increasingly pastoral in its first half until it becomes subjected to an electric storm and begins to dissolve into statics, interferences and processed white noise.4.7/5

Microambientreview.blogspot.com

Machinefabriek's style is instantly identifiable. And one which due to its nature allows for a vast array of different tones and textures to be used but still remarkably remain within an area of modern minimalist sound design.This 21+ minute sonic journey is an alternate edit of a soundtrack recorded for 'In Your Star', the latest film by Japanese experimental film maker Makino Takashi.The track opens with fragment's of a N.A.S.A operative describing the procedure for a moon landing. As this sample grabs the listener attention an elusive drone minor key in design secretly fades in. With the spoken word ending, crunching static debris crumble in the stereo field while reflective drones expand and resonate thought the open ambiance. Bass frequencies hum and oscillate and higher frequencies shimmer and collide, like asteroids smashing into each sending shards of rock across the open expanse. Soon the ornamental textures fade away a leaving calm submerged threads of analogue drone.

During this period in the track the mood shifts in emotion suggesting a change. Field recordings of people talking,birds singing and the waves of the sea crashing over shore usher's in the half way mark, suggesting a second narrative. Machinefabriek could be using these new 'earth recording's as a way for us to grasp in a sonic sense the beginning and end point of the Apollo mission?

The clever use of the stereo field,harmonic design along with subtle audio suggestions of narrative,theme and context make this composition a real treat for the discerning ear. Fans minimalist and drone music will love the mix of lo-fi and hi-fi textures along with the mastering which is rich and warm .Complementary to both headphone and 'quiet room' listening.'Apollo' is a must have for both minimalist/drone/sound design fan, and the edition collector.It is released in an edition of 200 numbered copies and comes in an over sized heavy paper sleeve. It costs 7 euro including word-wide shipping .

Vital Weekly

When I opened this up in Itunes it gave the correct title and as 'genre' it read 'soundtrack', which is quite funny. Apollo and soundtrack: how can be not avoid thinking of Brian Eno? Rutger Zuydervelt is not Brian Eno, simply because the theory side of things lack in his work (so far!), but music wise he is probably quite close to the work of the master of ambient. In this case he presents an 'alternate' edit of the soundtrack for Makino Takashi's film 'In Your Star', which I haven't seen, but its based on the Nasa flight control samples at the beginning and some highly atmospheric music, but with a slight edge to it. There are at times some piercing sounds, a glitch like rhythm here and there and it is strong atmospheric music of great stellar quality. Spacious, to stick with the theme of space travel, like the processed sound of a rocket flying over low. A particular strong work with a slight change of sound, which proofs that Zuydervelt is on the move again. Great package too.

Boomkat

Engrossing 22 minute missive from Machinefabriek: an alternative edit of the soundtrack for Makino Takashi's film 'In Your Star', recorded by Rutger Zuydervelt, December 2010 and January 2011. We're completely and utterly pinned to our seats with this one - and not even metaphorically - as soon as the wave of subbass creeps in and takes a hold at the start of 'Apollo' this becomes an intensely visceral, physical experience when heard through headphones. Seriously, my vision just went blurry and I got a cold sweat! Anyway, after lift-off the intensity subsides and Rutger settles into his trajectory, making microtonal adjustments to arcing, glassy tones and disturbing the surface with build ups of crystalline digital grains fogging the display until we're pretty much lost out there in the inky blackness. Comes housed in a super cute postcard sleeve and limited to 100 hand-numbered copies.